Hypoplectrus is a genus of fishes commonly known as hamlets, found mainly in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around Florida and the Bahamas. They are a popular choice for hobbyist saltwater aquariums, and come in a variety of colors.
Reproduction
Hamlets are simultaneous hermaphrodites (or synchronous hermaphrodites): They have both male and female sexual organs at the same time as an adult, meaning that they function as a male and female, making them one of the few vertebrates that are male and female at the same time. They seem quite at ease mating in front of divers, allowing observations in the wild to occur readily. They do not practice self-fertilization, but when they find a mate, the pair takes turns between which one acts as the male and which acts as the female through multiple matings, usually over the course of several nights. Hamlets preferentially mate with individuals of their same color pattern.
Species
There are currently 20 recognized species in this genus:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Species
!Common name
!Image
|-
|Hypoplectrus aberrans
<small>Poey, 1868</small>
|Yellowbelly hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus affinis
<small>(Poey, 1861)</small>
|Bluelip hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus atlahua
<small>Tavera & Acero P, 2013</small>
|Jarocho hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus castroaguirrei
<small>Del-Moral-Flores, J. L. Tello-Musi</small>
<br/><small>& J. A. Martínez-Pérez, 2012</small>
|
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus chlorurus
<small>G. Cuvier, 1828</small>
|Yellowtail hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus ecosur
<small>Victor, 2012</small>
|Spotted hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus espinosai
<small>Puebla, Aguilar-Perera, Robertson
<br/>& Domínguez-Domínguez, 2025</small>
|
|
|-
|Hypoplectrus floridae
<small>Victor, 2012</small>
|Florida hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus gemma
<small>Goode & T. H. Bean, 1882</small>
|Blue hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus gummigutta
<small>Poey, 1851</small>
|Golden hamlet
|
|-
|Hypoplectrus guttavarius
<small>Poey, 1852</small>
|Shy hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus indigo
<small>Poey, 1851</small>
|Indigo hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus liberte
<small>Victor & Marks 2018</small>
|Striped hamlet
|
|-
|Hypoplectrus maculiferus
<small>Poey, 1871</small>
|
|
|-
|Hypoplectrus maya
<small>Lobel, 2011</small>
|Maya hamlet
|
|-
|Hypoplectrus nigricans
<small>Poey, 1852</small>
|Black hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus providencianus
<small>Acero P & Garzón-Ferreira, 1994</small>
|Masked hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus puella
<small>G. Cuvier, 1828</small>
|Barred hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus randallorum
<small>Lobel, 2011</small>
|Tan hamlet
|frameless
|-
|Hypoplectrus unicolor
<small>Walbaum, 1792</small>
|Butter hamlet
|frameless
|}